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Greatest misconceptions about James Bond
George_Kaplan
Being chauffeured by Tibbett
Inspired somewhat by Calvin Dyson's 'Myths of James Bond' videos, what do you feel are the biggest/most common misconceptions held by those outside of the Bond fandom?
One that springs to my mind is the perception that the Fleming novels are all downbeat, no-nonsense spy thrillers in the vein of CR, with none of the more fantastical elements that the films are known for, despite there being numerous examples of such outlandish fare, particularly as the books went on.
One that springs to my mind is the perception that the Fleming novels are all downbeat, no-nonsense spy thrillers in the vein of CR, with none of the more fantastical elements that the films are known for, despite there being numerous examples of such outlandish fare, particularly as the books went on.
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Comments
So he doesn't know everything then. 🙄
Another one I sometimes hear is the idea that Q came from the Fleming novels and the tradition of Bond getting specific gadgets started there. It's kinda understandable if they haven't read them or know anything about Bond beyond the films to be fair.
I suppose a big one seen a bit more nowadays among certain types of younger men are those who like the superficial idea of James Bond (the clothes, the womanising, the lifestyle) without actually understanding the character's deeper values (his bravery, sense of selfless duty etc).
I guess there’s a bit of a misconception there which I suffered from until recently that Fleming only talks about Q Branch and there is no Q: although the character of Q isn’t in the books as he is in the films, it was pointed out to me recently that Q does actually get a namecheck in CR: M tells Bond to have a chat to Q (it’s not specified if that’s a man or woman, or even a person really, but as M is a person I guess it’s reasonable for the reader to assume). So there’s a slight basis for a character called Q, and Q and Q Branch do give Bond special equipment throughout the novels.
Another popular misconception which I often spot: Timothy Dalton is Welsh. He isn’t :)
Ah, it's this bit isn't it?
Yes you're right, although as you said it's a bit unclear what Q is referring to exactly in that moment. I reckon I've probably read that in the past and presumed it was referring to the department. But true, it's there.
Would make a good James Bond pub quiz night question with that technicality in mind, or some sort of question on QI!
Yeah I don’t think ‘Q Branch’ gets a mention in CR, so really the reader at the time has almost no reason to assume Q is anything other than a person, since they know M is a man.
Here’s one related possible misconception: that Q is short for Quartermaster. Most fans know that, but when is that actually established? It’s kind of official since Skyfall I think where M calls him Quartermaster, but before then was it just fan theory with no actual basis in the fiction?
Brosnan briefly calls Cleese "Quartermaster" in Die Another Day.
Probably another misconception is that Bond drinks the "Vesper" martini very often. He drinks it once in CR, but I think Fleming himself disliked it after first trying it and decided to scrub it. It probably has stayed around with the cool specificity which Bond orders it.
In fact, a misconception pushed by the films a little bit, but I remember reading somewhere that Bond's first drink of choice is not a vodka martini. There's a lot more whiskey and sodas and bourbons. I do think there's also more vodkas taken straight than vodka martinis.
The one I've heard more by the average person is along the lines of 'by shaking the martini the alcohol and water are separated so he gets less drunk while being able to drink lots, which is why he's efficient at his job' (not how that works incidentally).
Another thing people repeat, and this is a bit more in the realm of trivia and I appreciate not everyone will care, is that Connery wore a Gruen wristwatch in some scenes in Dr. No. This is something some guy decided by looking at some screencaps a few years back and you now see it repeated all over the internet and in various YouTube videos about 007's watches, but there's no actual basis for it and actually no one knows what the watch is he's wearing. It could be a Gruen, but it's more likely be one a lot of other watches which were more popular in Europe than an American watchmaker like Gruen. It's actually not impossible it's an Omega, funnily enough.
A bit OT, but speaking of TMWTGG and things which come from the book, I was surprised recently to spot that the gag about Goodnight's dress with the tracking device and suicide pill in the buttons actually comes from the book! There it's a gag about her necklace containing the pill, but she's not sure which one it's in so she'd have to swallow the whole thing!
I don't think you can bruise spirits (or make them more bitter by shaking them in layman's terms). If it were fully true bottles of booze would be impacted in some way when they're transported from factory to shop/bar. The texture of the drink is affected when you shake it with ice and results in more aeration. For a traditional martini or old fashioned type drink I think it's just a case where it wouldn't be as nice compared to stirring it, which makes sense as those are drinks with pretty much only spirits and no citrus to combine etc.
The classic wisdom for not shaking a martini—especially a gin martini—comes down to texture and flavor.
1. **Dilution and Texture**: Shaking a martini breaks up the ice, which dilutes the drink faster and gives it a cloudier appearance due to tiny ice shards. This is seen as less elegant than the clean, silky texture of a stirred martini.
2. **Flavor Balance**: Shaking introduces more air and can “bruise” delicate flavors, particularly in gin. Gin has subtle botanicals that can become muddled if shaken vigorously, while stirring gently incorporates the ingredients and preserves these nuanced notes.
3. **Aesthetic**: A stirred martini maintains a crystal-clear, smooth look, while a shaken one appears frothy and opaque due to aeration. This visual clarity is traditionally associated with martinis.
However, shaking is acceptable if that’s your preference—especially in a vodka martini, where the spirit’s flavor is less affected. The James Bond-style “shaken, not stirred” approach is an exception many enjoy.
I then asked "Is shaking a vodka martini acceptable?"
Yes, shaking a vodka martini is generally considered acceptable, and it even has a certain appeal, popularized by James Bond's "shaken, not stirred" preference.
Here’s why shaking works well for vodka martinis:
1. **Minimal Flavor Disruption**: Unlike gin, which has delicate botanical flavors, vodka is relatively neutral in taste. Shaking won’t compromise the flavor profile in the same way, so any subtle changes are less noticeable.
2. **Enhanced Chill**: Shaking with ice chills the vodka quickly and creates a refreshing, icy texture. Vodka martini fans often enjoy the extra-cold, slightly frothy result.
3. **Slight Dilution**: Shaking dilutes the drink more than stirring, which can smooth out the vodka’s edge, making it easier to sip.
Ultimately, it’s up to personal preference. If you like your vodka martini cold with a bit of aeration and don’t mind the slight cloudiness, go for the shake!
So I quickly explained Bernard Lee appeared as M in ALL the previous eleven Eon films. And M actually isn't in this one. Then we focused on the movie.
Wikipedia says
Timothy Leonard Dalton Leggett was born in Colwyn Bay, Wales, to an English father, Peter Dalton Leggett, who was a captain in the Special Operations Executive (SOE) during the Second World War and an American mother, Dorothy Scholes, of Italian and Irish descent. Before Dalton's fourth birthday, the family moved back to England to Belper in Derbyshire,
So he is Welsh, in that he was born there
Not very Welsh, we can all agree, but undoubtedly it was the land of his birth
He also has English heritage on both sides (the internet suggests "Scholes" is an English name) Plus American heritage, with splashes of Italian and Irish.
“ I’m not really Welsh other than being born there”
https://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/magazines/derbyshire/22567533.james-bond-actor-timothy-dalton-proud-belper-roots/
Boris Johnson was born in New York. James Bond 007 (according to John Pearson) was born in Berlin. Are these people not British?
Russians as the main villains in the movies.
I'm not sure if there's any way of proving this given the number of nameless henchmen Bond has killed, either directly or indirectly, but it sounds like a load of rubbish.
- James Bond is a codename (despite gravestones, Kincade and childhood personal documents)
- James Bond can be a woman (despite being a male character with a male given name and traits)
- Bond is using a PPK throughout DN (it's a PP and later, other brands - no PPK is present)
- Ian Fleming can be seen beside the train tracks in FRWL (despite difference in looks and posture)
- Characters call M 'mum' (it's 'marm', short for marmalade, which, like Paddington Bear, she has a liking for)
- Excavator in SF is often called a JCB (despite being a Caterpillar and CAT branding present)
- Bond and Blofeld are brothers (despite not being connected through blood, marriage or fostering)
- Bond can't return if he's dead (Bond has already returned in various media since NTTD and will return in film 26)
Collector misconceptions:
- Bond wears a Gruen Precision wristwatch in DN (this has never been confirmed - there's no evidence)
- Bond's GF snorkel has a pigeon on top (this has been confirmed by birders as a type of seagull)
- Moonraker camera is not disguised as a cigarette lighter (there are many clues on screen plus confirmation in the magazine that it is a lighter)
- The less common black laser 'rifle' from MR publicity photos is not seen in the film (despite being seen at least twice in said film)
On the fence:
- Dolly had braces (Yes she did. Wait- No! Well, I think... Argh I don't know what I remember!)
On the same subject : In TLD, Pushkin's girlfriend's breast can be seen in full (No, we only see one sideboob, albeit with a nipple showing, but not both, and not in full frontal view). BTW, here, Bond used a trick often used by Modesty Blaise in the novels. Maybe both compared notes, I don't know.
One that infuriates me is the notion, amond the general public, that the pre-title scenes have nothing to do with the main plot of the movies themselves. Extensive research (watching the movies) prove that it's not the truth : most of the scenes have something to do with the movies themselves.
I'm tempted to say another misconception is that it's black rather than shiny metal finish, but to be honest I don't think we can really completely tell either way!
Yeah, I think it was established that only FYEO/OP pre-titles have zero connections to the main story.
And I suppose TND. Sure, we see Gupta and the red box, but it's not vital to the pts and it basically is a few second cameo.